


The Ship of Dreams and the Red Thread of Fate

by DaphneK



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Character Death, F/M, Implied Future Finn/Rose Tico/Poe Dameron, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Torture, Minor Finn/Rose Tico, Minor Poe Dameron/Finn, Multi, RMS Titanic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-02-29 04:09:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18770896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaphneK/pseuds/DaphneK
Summary: They had called it the ship of dreams.After a life of misfortune, Rey and her friend Finn embarked on the RMS Titanic, settled in its 3rd class, praying to find a better life in New York – and for Rey, somewhere she would belong.Two classes up, Ben embarked the ship for a journey to the rest of his life. Abandoned to his despair by everyone that was once close to him, he longs for something he can’t seem to find – light in his darknessBrought together by some divine force, Rey and Ben find in each other what they had been looking for their entire life.Hope.





	1. Sticks and Stones

**Author's Note:**

> A Titanic AU where Ben is Rose, and Rey is Jack – will there be enough room on that floating door?
> 
> I made some research to make it as historically accurate as possible, but, obviously, there will be some peculiarity left.
> 
> All characters mentioned in the tags appear. There will be other characters that will be referenced, but they don’t appear in this fic, which is why I didn’t put them in the tags.
> 
> English is not my first language, so if you see a grammatical/vocabulary error, don’t hesitate to tell me, I’ll correct it.
> 
> Also, there will be music - check out the little title. Have fun!

[Sticks and Stones](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwsoTIt41CQ)

 

Finn Brown had woken up in the early morning, as always, ready for a new day of hard work. He had cleaned himself and had gotten dressed in fresh clothes – an important part of being a foreman was to be an example for all to follow, in Finn’s opinion. He had headed to the brewery in a quick pace, greeting everyone on the way there. The day had started well, as far as it goes. Finn was very satisfied with the people he managed; they seem to like him, and Finn was certain that there had been an improvement since he had become their foreman.  
Finn was monitoring one of the machines when he heard loud noises coming from his employer’s office. He stopped in his tracks and waited to see more. He did not investigate any further, however, as he knew not to; his director, Armitage Hux, was a man known for his short temper and his cruelty and interfering with his plans was grave enough for him to consider the death penalty.  
There were no more loud noise and Finn went back to work. A few minutes later, a beaten-up and bloodied woman was thrown out, escorted by two of Hux’s bodyguards. The woman pleaded, screaming for mercy, but all she received was another slap on the face.  
The brewery had fallen silent but, inside Finn’s head, there were only screams.

It was hot, it was humid, it was dark, it was Rey Moore’s life.  
The mine was loud with the noises of pickaxes, of men screaming, horses neighing and canaries chirping. Rey was the only woman inside the mine but, thankfully, men were too busy working and praying not to die that they did not think about the presence of a vagina next to them.  
Outside of the mine was another story. Rey had learned to fight before she had learned the reason why. Fortunately, at 19, Rey had a reputation of being stronger and more brutal than a gladiator, and she had not fought anyone in months.  
Rey should not have been working inside the mine, as she was a woman. Unfortunately for her, she was also an orphan and she belonged to Unkar Plutt, the foreman of the Bristol mines – although not officially. No one had ever stood up for her and Rey had been condemned to a life in the mine.

Finn had finished his day, the screams still loud inside his head, and had headed home in a rush.  
He could not do this. Not anymore. He knew, of course. He had always known. Hux was not a good man and he had recognized some of his bodyguards as mobsters. Now, Finn could not bury his head in the sand anymore. Not after seeing that.  
He packed his belongings – a few clothes, toiletries, some tools – and, when no one was looking, he escaped.  
Technically, Finn should not be escaping; he should be quitting and moving away. Technically – legally – Finn did not belong to his employers. He did, of course. His parents were long gone, and his life had belonged to them ever since. All he had ever known was what he was about to leave behind.  
Finn left to never come back, to a place he did not know yet.

She was heading home when she crashed into him.  
A little bit taller than her, his skin as black as coal, an air of panic on his face.  
She hit him with her stick – no one knows what panic can do to a man, as she always said. He fell on his back, groaning in pain.  
\- “Why would you do that?”, he asked, and his accent was American.  
\- “What are you doing here, Yankee?”, she asked back.  
\- “Nothing deserving of getting hit in the face with a stick.”, and he stayed on the ground, rubbing the place on his body where it had hit him.  
Rey did not trust men, Rey did not trust strangers, and this person was both. Yet, there was something about him that Rey liked; perhaps the little glimmer in his eyes that seemed to say that he was more impressed than angry at her stick abilities. She hesitated for a few seconds then extended her hand. He took it.  
\- “I’m Rey.”, she told him.  
\- “I’m Finn.”  
\- “What are you doing here, Finn?”  
He hesitated, just like she had. Just like she did, he felt something about her, something that told him that she could be trusted – he could not explain it, but the fact that she was wearing pants pleased him.  
\- “I’m escaping my employer – I mean, employer’s not exactly it.”  
Rey smiled, and Finn understood that she, too, was not exactly a free woman.  
They felt then and there that, wherever life would send them, they would stay together.

She let him stay with her for the night.  
He ate half of her portions for the evening and he gave her some of his soap – which was, by far, much better than what she usually used to wash herself with but still not enough to get rid of the coal on her eyelashes and her eyelids.  
They couldn’t sleep, so they talked.  
Her told her that he had left a whiskey brewery, in Ireland; that his parents had died when he was young, too young to be on his own; that he had been owned by his employer ever since; that his parents were slaves, like their parents before them, like him.  
She told him that she was working in the mine, here in Bristol; that she was not supposed to be working inside the mine; that she had never known her parents, only Unkar Plutt; that she had had to fight every man she had met.  
They stayed silent for a while, thinking about what the other had said. They fell asleep, eventually, when exhaustion became too strong to be fought off.  
When morning came, their minds were made up.  
They would leave, to never return. They would leave this place and give themselves the chance to build a better life – and they would do it together.

Finn had been hiding in Rey’s home for a week when they heard the news; on April 10, a brand-new passenger liner would leave Southampton to go to New-York.  
They had thought about it at length; they needed to go to the United States and find Luke Skywalker.  
Skywalker was a legend amongst workers. They had heard that he had saved people from misery, that he had given them homes and food, that he had helped them have a better life. They didn’t know if all of it was true, but they were willing to take the risk.  
The only issue was to find two tickets.

The pub was so crowded that there was no free space left between the clients. Part of it was due to the heated poker game that was being held on the table just next to the window. A game of a lifetime, first, because one of the two players was a woman, second, because its prize was two tickets for the RMS Titanic.  
That woman was Rey and she was winning.  
The guy in front of her was twice her size and he was getting angrier at the second. It did not scare Rey at all. She knew she was winning and, if he were to fight her, she knew she would win too.  
She did win, with a two pair, and when the guy got up, ready to hit her, she stood up, her stick in hand. His friend stopped him, then hit him while screaming in Polish, and Rey took the tickets and she and Finn ran to the embarkation dock.  
\- “Wait, wait, wait!”, she yelled and stopped in her tracks.  
\- “What?!”, Finn yelled, too.  
She let go of her stick, snatched a skirt out of her bag and put it on quickly, adjusted herself, and winked at Finn and he roared with laughter. They were stopped just before embarking by the inspection crew.  
\- “Show your head, checking for lice.”, said the man.  
They did as instructed. As the crew found nothing, they let them in, not without slipping a few remarks on Finn’s hair and some other insults – which would have caused them a black eye, had Finn not held Rey’s hand.  
They parted ways, resolving to meet up on deck, and headed to their cabins. Rey introduced herself to her temporary bedfellows, named Jess and Tallie; Finn met his, Temmin and Yolo. They tidied their belongings, talked to their new friends, and readied themselves for the departure.


	2. It was called the Ship of Dreams

[It was called ...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB0IHPGuTFo)

    - “Good morning, sir.”, said the steward after opening the car’s door.  
Ben Solo nodded and extricated himself of the car. The RMS Titanic towered him and Ben sensed his body tensing. He breathed deeply then put on his usual mask of indifference tinted with arrogance. Ben extended his gloved hand for his mother to take and he helped her out of the car, while his father gave the steward instructions for their shared luggage.  
    - “Would you look at the size of that thing.”, said his mother. “Imagine how much it must have cost.”  
    - “Not now, Leia.”, said his father, Han, in a hushed tone.  
Leia frowned and opened her mouth, a cutting comment ready at the tip of her tongue, when Han took her hand and put it on his arm. She relaxed and they all embarked the ship.  
  
The 1st class cabins of the Titanic were comfortable, richly decorated, and were, by far, the most splendid ones Ben had ever travelled in.  
He instructed the stewards while they were buzzing around him, placing his belongings wherever he wanted them to be. One of them tripped on the carpet and let go of a vase that was overfilled with flowers; when they fell on Ben’s shoes, he was overcome with blinding rage. The steward apologized profusely and excused himself, visibly terrified of the man in front of him. When they were all gone, his shoulders slumped, and Ben sat down on one of the armchairs.  
He could not think of a reason why he had felt so angry at the steward and it worried him. This was part of Ben’s everyday life. He was constantly overcome with strong negative emotions. He was always distressed, enraged, and bitter. He had not known anything in years.  
What worried him was that it seemed to be getting worse as days went by. What worried him was that he was feeling as if he were at the edge of a void ready to eat him whole. What worried him was that he felt as if that journey on the Titanic was the push that would make him fall.  
For the journey was not as innocuous as it seemed.  
Ben was traveling with his parents, which was already complicated on its own. Alas, his parents were not the only members of his family present on the ship; his uncle was also part of the unfolding tragedy. He was also traveling with his master, Snoke, his master’s employees, whom he hated with a passion, and said-employee’s family.  
This was a nightmare.  
  
Ben already knew that his parents thought of him as one big disappointment. Still, the tone in his mother’s voice stung when she told him that she had had to calm down the steward who had dropped the vase.  
They were taking what was supposed to be a calming stroll on the 1st class promenade deck when she brought it up. He simply sighed. She then started rambling on how privileged he was and that he should stop acting as if life was complicated, again, just like every morning. He stayed silent and waited for her to be done. They were standing near the railing, the lower deck laying below them, when his mother got too angry with him to stay and left him there. He watched her figure fade away and turned to look at the horizon.  
How he wished to be nothing but horizons, waves, air – anything but him.  
He felt his skin prickling with someone’s gaze and he looked down to lock eyes with the culprit.  
The world stopped existing. There was only her.  
He noticed her eyes first; inquisitive and dark. Then, her mouth.  
Her hair was styled in the most peculiar way, three loose buns at the back of her head. She was very peculiar in many ways; including her hairstyle, her clothes stood out too, a sandy suit with pants – on a woman.  
She was the most beautiful sight he had ever looked at.  
She was called by one of her friends and broke eye contact. He felt the weight of the world back on his shoulders and left, her face printed with burning precision in his mind.  
  
Rey and Finn surprised each other by being accompanied for their meet up on the lower deck. They all introduced themselves and found a bench to sit and relax. They talked about the ship, their cabins, how much more comfortable their beds were compared to those they had before and how nice it was to have such beautiful bathrooms available.  
Finn was telling a joke about rich people and baths when Rey noticed him.  
He was incredibly tall and broad, like the embodiment of the Roman pantheon. The sun warmed his shiny jet-black hair and accented the paleness of his skin. His eyes were dark and his face, a frozen mask, with a touch of pretention. His clothes were visibly made from rich fabrics; his suit was black, as was his shirt and tie, and his gloves.  
He was accompanied by a small and older woman, who seemed very angry with him. She had the exact same eyes he had, which told Rey that it was his mother. She suddenly left, her pace quickened by exasperation. He slumped on the railing, his arms resting on it.  
As he gazed at the horizon, his mask fell off.  
He was so human.  
She could not keep her eyes off him. He was sadness, he was anger – he was a storm made prisoner of a mortal’s body.  
He must have felt her looking. He looked down and locked eyes with her.  
The world stopped existing. There was only him.  
His eyes held deep secrets that she wanted to explore.  
He was so beautiful.  
    - “Rey.”, said Tallie and Rey looked at her. “Don’t even bother. He’s a 1st class, you’re a 3rd – you’re not compatible.”  
She nodded, completely uninterested by her words. She looked up, but the man was gone, his shadow still hunched on the railing.

 


	3. The Red Thread of Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First meetings and ~drama~.

[Fate](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPXinFjtIyg)

 

Ben was suffocating, pleading for mercy, but no one answered his calls for help.  
He knew that dinner would be horrible, but he had not planned for it to be the push he needed to fall into the void – he had expected it a little later, in all honesty.  
It had started by Hux, Snoke’s employee, insulting him and his clothes, and Phasma, Hux’s butler, snidely smiling in the background. He kept silent, his mask firmly shaping his face, as usual.  
He then had to suffer his uncle’s long monologue on his apparent inability to comprehend human pain and his total indifference to other people, which, he said sarcastically, should help him with Snoke’s ambitions. He was used to Luke’s disdain and bitterness, but he wished his uncle remained decent enough not to do it in front of others.  
His mother was kind enough to tell her brother to stay polite, her tone low with anger – which, thankfully, affected Luke like a cold shower. Unfortunately, she then spent the rest of the meal provoking Snoke, hidden behind the pretence of inquiring after her son’s activities, carefully but clearly showing her disapproval. Leia was not a good politician, but she had the knowledge of it – she wore her heart on her sleeve but knew which words to choose to not be asked about it.  
It was his father who hurt Ben the most. Visibly intoxicated, he spent what felt like eternity rambling about how he didn’t understand his son’s interests at all. How he wished they had shared the same passion for adventure, he had said, longing dripping from his voice. Ben had seen Snoke’s disapproving glance at Han’s spilled wine and he felt the urge to defend his father, just when he complained about his son’s constant coldness.  
It would not have been as painful had Snoke not taunted Ben with carefully crafted insults, discreet enough to not be perceived by the absentminded ear but precise enough to be understood by Ben. Seeing his family being completely careless of what was happening to him, in front of them, decided of his fate.  
Ben had fallen into the void.  
He excused himself when dinner was over. He didn’t care if they noticed him or the tears that were starting to burn his eyes. He walked out and, when he came around the corner, started running at full speed to the stern.  
He was crying when he reached it and his ears were ringing so loud that he couldn’t even hear the ocean below him.  
The ocean.  
Below him.  
How he wished to be waves.  
He breathed deeply and climbed over the railing.  
The ocean was loud under him and he was ready to fall at any second.  
\- “Don’t do this.”, said a woman behind him.  
Ben pictured the woman from the lower deck whom he had seen earlier; for a second, he held the futile hope that the voice was hers and he turned to face her. It was the woman from the lower deck. Her hair was down this time and she had what seemed to be a blanket on her shoulders.  
\- “Don’t go this way. I’m sure whatever your problem is, there’s a solution.”, she told him.  
\- “How could you know?”, he said in a trembling voice.  
\- “You would have jumped. If you didn’t feel like there could be some hope, you would have jumped already.”  
How could he admit that the only hope he had had was to see her face?  
\- “Come on, let’s go back on deck, we’ll figure this out.”, she told him a calm and soothing tone, her hand extended to help him.  
He obeyed. He turned, ready to climb back on the ship.  
Then he slipped.  
The sound of his cries, cut short, stayed stuck in his throat; she was holding him by his vest. She strained to hold him, and the effort brought sweat on her forehead. She pulled enough for him to grab the railing and, screaming with pain, she yanked him back on deck, where he fell on her, almost as breathless as she was.  
\- “What happened?!”, he heard his mother scream.  
They had attracted a public, namely Snoke and his parents. He was helped on his feet by his father and Leia helped the woman from the lower deck.  
\- “What did you do?”, Leia asked him, her tone slightly accusatory.  
He was fumbling with his words when the woman interjected.  
\- “He was looking down the railing when he slipped, and I helped him back up.”, she told them, and her voice was so steady that it was impossible to tell that she was lying.  
\- “I was looking at the propellers and I bent too low.”, he added.  
His parents hugged him and Snoke shook the woman’s hand, thanking her. Leia then turned to face her and held her hands in her own.  
\- “Would you dine with us, tomorrow evening? To thank you for saving my son’s life.”, her voice was pleading.  
The woman accepted, and Leia told her to meet on the 1st class deck in the afternoon. His parents then left, followed by a hesitant Snoke.  
\- “Thank you.”, Ben murmured.  
\- “Rey. My name is Rey.”  
Her eyes were burning as she looked into his eyes.  
\- “Rey.”, and she shivered when she heard her name in his voice.  
He inclined his head and started leaving, his mind full of the day that had passed and the day that was headed, full of new promises, incarnated by the amazing woman who had saved his life.  
\- “What’s your name?”, she then asked.  
\- “Ben.”, he answered, his mouth twitching when he saw her smile. “My name is Ben.”  
\- “Ben.”, and he shivered, too, when he heard her say his name. “Good night, Ben.”  
He left, her entire being now existing in his very soul.


	4. My Word is my Bond

[Forcebonds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM_B2Vvt3nw)

 

The wind was blowing in his glorious hair and he was casually dressed when she found him.  
\- “Ben!”, she called out.  
\- “What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be here before noon.”, he anxiously told her.  
\- “I wanted to see you.”, she was smiling brightly.  
The corners of his mouth twitched in the beginning of a smile. He offered her his arm and, after she took it, he led her to two chairs in a calm corner of the 1st class deck.  
\- “What do you keep in your bag?”, he asked her, once they were seated.  
\- “Oh! Nothing much, just some stuff, my notebook.”  
\- “What’s in the notebook.”  
\- “Drawings. Only drawings.”  
\- “No notes?”  
She stayed silent and looked away, and Ben understood that she didn’t know how to read. He cleared his throat and acted as if nothing had happened.  
\- “Would you mind showing me those drawings?”, he asked, to change the subject.  
\- “I suppose I could show you some, if you’re interested.”, she answered, visibly thankful.  
\- “I am interested.”  
She smiled and searched her bag for the notebook. She flipped through the pages, looking for a drawing that was both pretty and not too personal. She handed him the page where she had drawn the Bristol mines.  
\- “That’s where I lived and worked. The Bristol mines.”, she said, her voice low.  
\- “You were a miner?”  
\- “Yes. And I was a good one.”, her voice was prideful.  
She flipped through some more pages and stopped at a portrait.  
\- “That’s my friend, Finn. We came here together.”, she said, her voice filled with love.  
He stayed silent, carefully studying Finn. She had drawn him with precision and it was obvious that she cared about him. He felt his heart burn with a brand-new feeling: jealousy.  
\- “He’s not a good model, though. He keeps making jokes and he laughs at them.”  
She was smiling broadly, reminiscing that day. She flipped through the pages, again, and stopped at a portrait of a mother breastfeeding her child.  
\- “Look at her face. She loves her baby so much.”, she caressed the picture, longing painting her eyes with sadness.  
\- “You’re very talented.”, he murmured, touched by her.  
She thanked him and, just like they had when she told him her name, her eyes were burning with a passion that was so strong it could have burned cities.  
\- “So, um.”, he cleared his throat again, then awkwardly added, “I wish I could draw like that.”  
\- “What do you do then?”, she asked him enthusiastically, as if she couldn’t wait any longer.  
\- “I don’t know. Disappointing my family, I suppose.”  
He awkwardly laughed, but Rey did not. She was concerned. She looked at him, silently asking him to tell her more. He felt compelled by her gaze and started babbling about his life.  
He told her how he was the only heir to three heavy legacies and their lifelong quests; the first and their lifelong research for the meaning of life; the second and their lifelong fight in politics; the third and their lifelong quest for justice and equality. He told her how terrible he was at politics and how much philosophy had bored him.  
\- “What about justice and equality?”, she had then asked.  
\- “Apparently, I am too cold for that.”  
He didn’t elaborate on it. Rey kept silent.  
He told her that Snoke had found him and given him a chance at life. He was 23 and had already tired out everyone in his family and his family’s friends. Snoke appeared out of nowhere and offered him a place in his business. He had accepted, not because it interested him, but because he felt hopeless and it seemed to please his father. Han was a businessman – or something. He had liked the idea of his son doing the same thing he had once done. He sobered up fast, however.  
\- “Why?”, had then asked Rey.  
\- “I don’t know.”, he answered.  
Snoke was in the whiskey business. He had breweries in the US and in Ireland. Ben considered him as his master, although not as affectionately as he wished for. He needed Snoke but Snoke did not need him, and it brought some tension in their relationship.  
\- “I mean, I’m not of any importance. He could replace me like that.”, he told her, snapping his fingers.  
Rey did not agree with him; on the contrary, Snoke needed Ben, but Ben didn’t need Snoke, she was sure of it. When he had thanked her the night before, after she had saved Ben’s life, Snoke had looked at her as if she were a threat, not a saviour – why would he feel threatened if Ben was not necessary to him?  
\- “I wish I was more like my grandfather.”, he suddenly said. “He did what I can’t seem to do.”, his voice was sad and anxious at the same time.  
\- “What did he do?”, she asked.  
He was a philosopher, or something. He had dwelled in politics, at some point. His mother and uncle had stayed silent about him, and Ben had learned his existence from Snoke, who wished Ben had inherited his grandfather’s talents. His mother hated him with a passion that Ben found terrifying.  
\- “Why?”, Rey asked.  
\- “She didn’t tell me much. He was everything she stands for, that’s all I know.”  
Apparently, Anakin, his grandfather, had been poor and underprivileged as a child but was a brilliant mind. As an adult, his philosophy became darker; he thought that only a few people had been blessed with a rational mind and those only could have power.  
\- “Do you agree with him?”, Rey had then asked.  
\- “I don’t know”, he hesitated. “I suppose I don’t. I don’t think that anyone should have power.”  
He stayed silent after that – closed-off and contemplative.  
His family had often said that he was too much like his grandfather, violent and cold; Snoke thought that Ben was far from the man he thought was a legend. Ben was being torn apart, by those who saw Anakin in him, and those who could not.  
\- “I suppose there is drama in every family.”, he suddenly said, cutting his thoughts off. “Right?”, he added, turning to face her.  
\- “I suppose. I don’t know much about mine.”  
He shuffled awkwardly – he must have understood what I meant, thought Rey. She sighed, the heaviness of her loneliness pressing on her lungs, not because she didn’t want to talk to him, but because it always hurt. She trusted him, for some reason, and wanted to tell him about her life.  
\- “I was found in Exmoor, in the bogs. Unkar Plutt took me in and made me work in the mines. I kept working inside long after I should have left. And that’s all there is to know. If I hadn’t met Finn…”, she trailed off. “If I hadn’t met Finn, I don’t know what I would have become. I was so alone.”  
\- “You’re not alone.”, he told her, his eyes glistening.  
\- “Neither are you.”, she said, and her eyes were burning again.  
They felt something pass between them, a bond being made, and they stayed silent, lost in each other’s eyes and in the contemplation of a future where they would no longer be alone.


	5. The Do’s and Don’ts When Meeting the Parents

[Meeting the Parents](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJenvfjf92E)

 

They had been playing cards for an hour when Ben’s parents arrived. Rey saw him tense up and she turned to look at them walking towards Ben and her.  
Leia was a small woman whose authority made her look much taller. She was elegant and visibly fashionable. Her hair was braided in intricate designs and her jewellery were rich and sparkly. Han, on the other hand, was tall and simply dressed – perhaps too simply for a 1st class man.  
Ben got up, and Rey followed him. Leia walked up to her and held her hand.  
\- “You’re here early.”, she said. “I am so very sorry, but I need to talk to my son before we begin. Would you mind waiting for me?”  
Rey simply nodded, a little star-struck. Leia smiled and took her son’s arm, leading him away. Han offered Rey his own arm, and Rey took it.  
\- “Thank you again.”, he told her. “For saving my son.”  
\- “I did what I had to do.”, she answered, a little coldly.  
He stayed silent for a moment, idly walking by her side.  
\- “He’s a good kid, you know.”, he suddenly said, his voice sad. “Good kid.”  
It surprised Rey; she didn’t understand why he was telling her that.  
\- “You know, I used to be 3rd class type of guy.”, he smiled. “Still am, I suppose. Until I met Luke and Leia.”  
\- “Luke and Leia?”, at the name Luke, Rey jolted, her attention all focused on the man next to her.  
\- “Luke and Leia Skywalker – even though she doesn’t like to be called like that. I smuggled a guy in America for them.”  
\- “Luke Skywalker? Ben’s uncle is Luke Skywalker?”

Although it was her who was holding on Ben’s arm, Leia was leading the way. They walked to the railing and stopped there, admiring the ocean for a few silent seconds.  
\- “How are you, my boy?”, Leia asked, squeezing his arm.  
\- “Why do you ask?”, he answered, perfectly aware that her question had a double meaning.  
She sighed and let go of his arm to face him.  
\- “You know that I don’t believe in your accident.”, her tone was not delicate. “You would never do something as stupid as bending over a railing that stands above a freezing ocean.”  
\- “Maybe I’m that stupid, who knows.”  
He could feel his anger grow and burn in his chest. He turned his back to her, ever so slightly – just enough to not be seen as rude by bystanders.  
\- “Ben, baby. I’m only worried about your well-being. You seemed so…” she seemed to hesitate. “Distant, at dinner.”  
\- “Distant?”, he cut her off before she could continue. “That’s what you think? That I was distant?”  
\- “I don’t know, I simply mean that you were not as focused on the conversation as you usually –“  
\- “So, it’s always my fault?”, he cut her off again. “Did I ever do something right, or am I just one big disappointment to you?”  
His voice had grown in volume and people started to notice him. Willing to stay as invisible as possible, Ben decided to become as silent as a monk for the rest of his mother’s discourse.

\- “Ben didn’t tell you?”, Han asked.  
\- “No, he kept the name to himself.”  
\- “Yeah, Luke’s his uncle. Why is it a big deal?”  
Rey hesitated, but Han’s rugged but sweet smile compelled her to speak up.  
\- “He’s sort of a myth, isn’t he?”, she looked away, shyly.  
\- “You were hoping to get him to help you, didn’t ya?”  
\- “Yeah. Help me and my friend, Finn. We were told that he had done so much for people like us.”  
Han was smiling, although his eyes were sad. They both remained silent for a little while. Rey was content, holding the old man’s arm. There was something in Han Solo that made Rey feel comfortable; the hardness in his appearance and his gentle tone was how Rey had imagined her idea father. He was very much like Ben, keeping his kind soul to himself.  
There must have been a misunderstanding between those two.  
\- “Finn, you say?”, Han suddenly asked. “Is he a childhood friend?”  
\- “A hardship friend, more so.”  
\- “Yeah, I know that kind of friendship.”  
\- “Mister Solo,” Rey said, while Han mumbled “Mister Solo” under his breath in the most disgusted tone one could use. “Can I ask you a question.”  
\- “Go ahead, kid.”  
\- “About Mister Skywalker, what they say… Is it true?”  
He paused and looked into her eyes, and Rey had never seen a man with such intensity – the look of a man who holds secrets and history.  
\- “All of it.”

Leia had stayed silent for a few minutes after her son’s burst of anger.  
\- “I just want to understand what the problem is, Ben. When you’re ready to tell me, I will listen.”  
With that, she squeezed his arm gently and left him to his thoughts. Ben didn’t turn to watch her leave, as he felt as though a wave of sadness hit him. An entire universe seemed to separate him and his mother, and he did not know how to make it disappear.  
He did follow her to go back to Rey, whose arm was held by his mother. Rey was smiling and laughing at one of Han’s comments, and Ben didn’t know if it made him sad or happy.  
\- “We have important things to do, don’t we, my dear?”, Leia said, turning to Rey.  
Rey nodded, and Leia led her away, as both men waved goodbye – for now.  
\- “She’s great.”, Han said, and for one, Ben agreed with his father.

Rey had practically been kidnapped by Leia and her entourage, namely Amilyn Holdo, a tall woman with a peculiar sense of style, and the Tico sisters, Leia’s two protégées, Paige and Rose. Both sisters were adorable and funny, and seemed to see Rey as a future good friend.  
They all helped her bathe, after witnessing Rey try and eat a piece of soap – it smelled of food, she had argued – and they helped her get dressed.

They took one of Paige’s two evening dresses, as they were both about the same size. Leia then braided Rey’s hair, while Amilyn helped her put on some of her jewellery; Rey noticed Leia’s sorrowful expression when she told her that it was her mother and her godmother who had taught her to style her hair.  
After collecting something in her cabin, Rey joined all four women and mentally prepared herself for what promised to be the most bizarre dinner she would ever have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got a unexpected load of work that made it unable for me to write and upload as quickly as I wanted, but nevermind. This one took a little bit of time, but I'm quite happy with the results.


	6. the Cat Had Kittens on Hot Bricks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps was I blessed by the Gods with Mighty Inspiration on my birthday, but anyway, here's a new chapter. I felt as though we hadn't seen Finn in a while and I was starting to miss him, so I wrote this chapter to have his point of view on this whirlwind-like ~strange relationship~.

[Don't Be Happy, Worry](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7f7u3TbY84)

 

Finn was worried, worried sick – literally. He was feverish and sweaty.  
It had started the night before, when he had found Rey all dishevelled, lighthearted, and slightly spaced out. She had just saved the life of the man she had seen, earlier, on the 1st class deck and his mother had invited her to dinner – and his name was Ben Solo.  
Hearing the name ‘Ben Solo’ had triggered Finn’s anxiety.  
He knew Ben Solo by name, not by face. He had never seen him but knew that he was working closely with his old master-employer and the apprentice of the breweries’ owner, whom he never seen either.  
Those were not good people, he had told Rey.  
She wouldn’t listen. She had seen something in Ben Solo, something that she could feel in her own soul, she had told Finn – as if a guy like that could have a soul. She was adamant that Ben Solo was not the man everyone thought he was.  
Finn had decided to let her sleep on it. She was smart, capable, and a rational being and he was sure that she would eventually listen.  
He almost didn’t catch her when morning came. She was in a rush, almost inhaling breakfast, to go see the man.  
\- “Rey, please, be careful!”, he urged her. “I know these people, they are dangerous.”  
\- “I know what I’m doing.”  
And with that, she left.  
Everyone around the table was confused. They all stayed silent for a few minutes after Rey’s departure, and eventually, it was Tallie who asked the first question.  
\- “What the hell was that?”  
He told them everything, although he was not one to trust strangers so easily, probably pushed by his fever. While he kept the names to himself, he told them about his former employer-master, why he called him that, how Ben Solo – renamed that 1st class guy – was heavily involved in that business, and why, therefore, he was worried sick.  
He was met with heavy silence, everyone trying to piece it all together – what he had just told them with what they had learned the day before, over at dinner.  
\- “What if she’s right, though.”, said Jess. “I mean, she’s tough. She knows not to trust people easily. “  
\- “Look, I’m not one to say these types of things, but…”, Temmin interrupted. “Sometimes, 1st class people have stuff to work on. I’m not saying not being hungry doesn’t help, I’m just saying that it doesn’t stop them from having feelings, ya know.”  
Yolo snort-laughed while Tallie looked at Temmin with disbelief.  
\- “Come one, you know I’m right. Rey does too.”, then he added, looking at Yolo: “She’s definitely smarter than you.”  
He was then hit on the back of the head and decided to sulk for the rest of the conversation.  
\- “I get it and you’re right: he could just be suffering.”, Finn eventually said. “Honestly, I’m willing to trust her on that. It’s his people who I don’t trust. His master, his fellows… These are dangerous people.”  
\- “I can tell you this:”, Tallie then said. “If anything happens to Rey or to you, we’ll help you too. At least, I will.”  
\- “Me too.”, added Jess.  
\- “You can count on me to beat up rich kids.”, Yolo joked.  
Temmin, who was still sulking, nodded with heavy conviction. Finn smiled and thanked them, almost tearfully.  
He waited all afternoon for Rey and, even though knowing that he had his four new friends’ support did help, he could still feel the cold sweat rolling down his back. He caught her just as she left the cabins corridor. She was dressed fancily, with beautiful sparkly jewellery, and she was clean and smelled good, and her hairstyle was this of a princess.  
Perhaps rich people have rights, he thought to himself.  
\- “Rey!”, he called her. “I’ve been worrying all day, how are you?”  
\- “I’m fine. I’m heading to dinner. With Ben and his parents.”  
\- “Rey…”  
\- “I’ll be fine. Trust me.”  
She held her hands for him to take. He took it and squeezed gently.  
\- “I have a plan.”, she then said.  
For some reason, it calmed Finn down. He smiled, and she embraced him, hugging him tightly. After a couple of minutes, she let go, smiled one last time, and left.  
He would rather sink the whole ship and himself than see anything happen to her, but he knew that if anyone tried it, she would sink the Titanic herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter is a little short, but obviously the action was happening with Rey and Ben, I just really wanted you to have Finn's POV. Longer "Finn" chapters should follow, because he is important in the story too, it's not just about a forbidden romance, though I love it. Also, I made up an idiom for the title, which is something I often do and it confuses my family so much, but I love it and I won't stop.


	7. Paul Poiret Freed Us from the Corset

[Thank You Paul Poiret](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh36PaE-Pf0)

 

Ben was waiting for Rey with the other men, namely his father, his uncle, Poe Dameron, who was his mother’s apprentice or something, Snoke, Hux, Hux’s father, and Phasma, lurking in a dark corner as always.  
He was pleased to notice that his father had made an effort to dress up. He was wearing a full evening dress; his white tie gave him an air of authority that he, himself, lacked and his white mane made him look like a wise gentleman, which he wasn’t either.  
His uncle was, as always, extremely fashionable – a trait shared by both twins, and inherited from their mother. His midnight blue tuxedo complimented his bright blue eyes and the golden embroidery of his cummerbund shone under the lights. He had masterfully chosen sapphire studs for his cufflinks and he wore, as always, his signet ring, passed down generations of Skywalkers – which included, so far, his father and himself, a fact he often forgot to mention. His hair was a little too long to be appropriate, but it made him look almost legendary – this of an old lion, his greying hair was impressively voluminous.  
Snoke was also in white tie but had accessorized his outfit with an impressive amount of gold; golden glasses, gold pocket watch, and an ominously looking gold ring ornate with a jet-black stone. His grey curls shone under the candelabra, contrary to his striking blue eyes, which seemed devoid of any light.  
The Hux men were also in white tie, in the most conventional and appropriate fashion – a little too conventional for Ben’s taste. They both seemed to be sneering at Luke’s fashion choices, which didn’t seem to bother the old man, quite the contrary; he was, in fact, looking down on the two men, visibly too boring for his own tastes.  
Poe Dameron was in tuxedo, which Ben guessed had already been a lot to ask of him. He was tugging at his black bow tie and looked as though he was inprisonned in his vest, which, although much lighter that the coat of a full evening dress, seemed too stiff for him still.  
Ben, himself, was very elegant. He was dressed in full evening dress too but had chosen to be in all black. His tailcoat was slightly shorter than the usual ones, which was barely noticeable, but enough to be startling. Ben was not like his uncle, a flamboyent dandy, but was a man of many details; his vest was embroidered with a thin golden thread and his coat and trousers were ornate with delicate nickel grey arasbesques. The only color in his outfit was the red tulip in his coat's pocket he had chosen in one of the many vases in his cabin.  
Ben had just finished observing everyone's choices of clothes when the Hux ladies arrived. Leading the way was Abigail, a tall blonde woman and eldest of the Hux clan; behind her was her mother, Maratelle, closely followed by her two other daughters, Adelaide and Agnes.  
Abigail was dressed in Oriental fashion. Her flowing silver grey pantaloons and her peacock tunic were so bright she attracted all the lights on her way down the stairs. She had hidden most of her blonde curls under a rich turban, except for a few hanging on her porcelain white face. She was the center of all the attention.  
Ben didn't like it, at all.  
He would never admit to her face, but he did agree with his mother on orientalism; it felt wrong to see women like Abigail Hux wear the clothes of the people opressed by men like her father.  
Matarelle, Brendol's Hux wife, was not Hux's mother and it made for some petty drama. Her corseted waist seemed motionless, as if she weren't breathing; she was as still as a statue, as if one small movement would attract unwanted attention. Her second daughter Adelaide was as still as her, although her breath was visibly strained by her dress, and almost invisible, if it weren't for her eyes – she was looking at her father with barely contained hatred.  
Agnes, who Ben knew was a rebellious child, wore a slim sleeveless chemise dress, which came just above her ankle. The deep green velvet of her clothes made her shockingly short red hair look like true fire. She seemed happy to shock some conservative minds, especially her father's, who looked like he was about to hit her.  
Maratelle took her husband's arm and clung to it for dear life, while Hux offered his to Abigail, with obvious disgust. Together, they entered the dining room, with Phasma leading Adelaide and Agnes parading inside. Ben had the misfortune of noticing Hux's older sister glancing at him with the same air of a cat about to lunge on an innocent mouse and, for a split second, Ben had the image of Abigail's mouth being stuffed with her turban by a very angry Rey.  
A delightful vision, to be sure.  
Just as the two doors were shut behind the Hux clan, the ladies they were all waiting for arrived at the stairs.  
Leia and her childhood friend, Amilyn, were the first to come down, holding each other by the arms. His mother was wearing a beautiful yellow dress, in shades of royal yellow and gold, with delicate arabesques and small decorative tassels all the way from the neckline down to her feet. The dress had a small train that Ben knew Leia had chosen because it made her look taller. Her hair was, as always, braided in the same sophisticated manner she had always used, taught by the women of her life, and later learned by Ben, when, fascinated by his mother's beauty routine, he had wanted to do it himself.  
Those days were long gone, now.  
Amilyn's dress was, as usual, peculiar. The skirt of her dress was made of horizontal stripes, like a marinière, covered in sheer brown fabric. Her neckline and sleeves were made of delicate lace and, enwrapping her waist, a grass green ribbon with embroidered red flowers. Her wavy blonde hair was cut short and, although it suited her, it was very much shocking to some.  
Following and also holding each other, the Tico sisters, Rose and Paige. Paige wore a black dress with delicate silver patterns and a turquoise belt. Her beautiful black hair had been braided off her face but were still flowing and were ornate with silver and turquoise jewellery. Rose's dress was made out of a cream colored tulle underskit and, covering it, a soft corset, made with a delicate orange colored satin, embroidered with flowers and, just above her heart, a rose brooch. Her simple updo could not hold her weirdly spiky curls.  
Luke had offered his arm to Amilyn, miming the ways of a musketeer courting his beloved, which earned him a slap on the wrist from his sister and a barely contained snortled laugh from Amilyn, who did take his arm, comically fanning herself.  
Poe offered his to Paige, leaving Rose to Snoke. Both seemed as disgusted by each other as if they had stepped in some gross gooey guano. Although in better company, neither Poe nor Paige seemed happy with the other; Poe looked positively terrifed of the woman holding his arm, while Paige's attitude exuded disinterest. She clearly thought him rude and it clearly scared him.  
Ben was kissing his mother's cheek, as some sort of peace offering for the evening, just as she was about to take his father's arm, when he noticed her nod encouragingly towards the stairs. He turned to look and was met a vision from the Gods.  
Rey was standing there, just near the clock. She looked heavenly and, for a millisecond, Ben thought he had gone to the Underworld and met its Queen. She was the embodiment of Spring and he had never seen anything more beautiful.  
The train of her delicate pale yellow dress was following her steps like her very own court. The sheer dark gold fabric, coating her shoulders and resting on her hips, was dotted with pink roses nesting in their leaves. Her waist was encircled by a small belt, closed at the front by three red roses. Her short sheer sleeves were each decorated by the same pattern of three red roses.  
She was wearing his mother's Art Nouveau jewellery; a short necklace, its pendant, a gold scarab on plique-à-jour enamel red roses, resting just above her heart, gold enamel and pearl earrings, and a thin gold enamel bracelet ornate with a pearl and diamond arabesque, which Ben had always jokingly called his mother's engagement bracelet, for it looked just like a ring.  
Her hair had been styled by his mother, he could tell; that peculiar fashion was his grandmother's. A single thick braid rested on top of her head, like a headband. A halo of hair surrounded her face, as if to show how divine she was. He yearned to touch the loose curls resting on her neck.  
She had been given yet another enamel jewellery, a brilliant sunset, resting above the place where her braid headband met at her neck. Intertwined in the hair were many flowers; a lot of white whithered wildflowers, two pink carnations, and three red roses.  
She was just in front of him and she seemed to light up the air surrounding her with her beauty, like an angel. Even him felt beautiful near her.  
She shyly twirled, holding her skirt with her gloved hands – his mother's first white gloves – and ruffling the frabics.  
“What do you think ?”, she asked.  
“It's perfect.”

She had hesitated to come down the stairs when she saw how he looked.  
His flowing luxuriant hair was gorgeous. His black outfit was impressive. He looked like a dark prince, coming to sweep her off her feet on his skeleton horse born in the depths of Hell.  
Leia nodded, encouraging her to come down. It made Ben turn around and look at her. Every step she took was carefully observed by him and it seemed that, the more she walked, the more smitten he was. By the time she stopped in front of him, his entire being was focused on her.  
She twirled, asked him for his opinion. She felt her cheeks and chest heat up at his answer. He offered her his hand, which she took, and he carefully put hers on his forearm. She squeezed it lightly, out of apprehension, and perhaps of excitement.  
Everyone was watching them. Leia and Han, who were both on the verge of tears, seemed more than happy to see their son on her company. Rose and Paige were smiling broadly at her; their company, however, not so much. The man holding Paige's arm, a handsome man, was looking at them, back and forth, trying to understand something his brain could not work out. Snoke, whom Rey had recognized, was barely able to contain his disaproval. Amilyn seemed proud of her work, and the man holding her arm, which reminded Rey of someone, seemed to be as confused as he was disaproving them.  
Ben put his hand on hers, as if to calm her down, and led her inside the dining room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I just dedicated an entire chapter to the description of people's clothes. No, I have no regrets.

**Author's Note:**

> Do tell me what you think, I am all ears!


End file.
